Prescribed burn Dec. 2 at Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary

Dec. 2, 2024

Contact: Tim Nyander

Utilities Director

479-575-8386

Prescribed burn Dec. 2 at Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The City of Fayetteville will conduct a prescribed burn on Monday, Nov. 2, at Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary, a wetland mitigation site located immediately north of the West Side Wastewater TreatmentPlant at 15 S. Broyles Ave.

The burn is scheduled to begin around 1 p.m. and will take two to four hours to complete. The burn will be on a 64.5-acre tract that bordersthe west side of Broyles Road, to the east of 54th Avenue and to the south of Persimmon Street.

The purpose of the prescribed burn is for adaptive management of the wetland plant community withinthe City's wetland mitigation site. In 2005, baseline monitoring identified 47plant species at the site. As of the end of the 2024 growing season, 505 plant species have beenobserved, 11 of which are species of special concern tracked by the Arkansas Natural HeritageCommission.

A containment line has been established to maintain the fire within the designated burn area. Members of the public are welcome to attend the prescribed burn; however, bystanders will be required to stay behind the containment line. This will be the 18th prescribed burn at Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary since 2008. Being a prairie grassland/forb fire, there will not be long-term smoldering as occurs with forest fires.

OzarkEcological Restoration Inc. will conductthe burn under supervision of the City's environmental consultant. The Fayetteville and Farmington fire departments will be notified and onstandby to assist, if needed. After completion of the prescribed burn, the burn crew willassure that all sparks and embers have been fully extinguished.

For more information, contact Utilities Director Tim Nyander at 479-575-8386 or [email protected].

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